Regina Spektor – Chemo Limo

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  My Interpretation:To me this song is about a mother of four who is stuggling with cancer and simply wants the whole ordeal to be over. She doesn't want to go through chemo, because of how awful it is to experince but she also doesn't have the money to pay for it and is worried that if she died anyways there would be nothing left for her kids.
  
  The doctor being her drive and listening to her as she tells him to "just go west" is to me her ebing able to give the doctor instructions for a change and her lack of destination is a sort of freedom to just explore and spend time with her kids.
  
  As for the "crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin" That seems to pretty clearly be money as Benjamin Franklin is on the American (I believe its the 100$) dollar bill. Regardless if it isnt the Hundred he is def on one of their bills. So I see the " I had a dream Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin came over and Baby-sat all four of my kids" as meaning that she dreamt that she had enough money that her kids would be taken care of and fiancial set for life after shes forced to leave them.
  
  Sad but great song!

  Flag Saxatilison August 14, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:When I listened to this song alone, I pretty much got my own version of it.
  
  First off, the mother "had a dream" (I could never figure out the meaning behind the dream, though there's a part that says "I knew it was a dream right away".. Do any of you know?), so the doctor told her that she had cancer but said that she'll be okay anyway, though she was poor and cared for her children, she didn't want to waste money on herself, instead she wasted the money on a limo ride with her kids, the kid naming part is so touching, the first time when she says "Oh Barbara, she looks just like mom", she notices something different in her but she can't quite see it. Then when this part goes in "I'm-a gonna go out in style go out in style, style, t-t-t-t-pf-t-t-t-t, style..." I think that this is the sound of the machine in the hospital that shows if a person is alive or not.
  The last time Regina says "I had a dream", I think that she is dead already, Benjamin came over to take care of her kids, NOW- THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE LIMO, and in my opinion they are all in a cab on their way to the mother's funeral, Sophie listens to the radio, Jacqueline was being such a "big girl" - not crying about her mother and the saddest part comes in, and Barbara, she looks just like the mother, "Oh my god, Barbara", she's sick just like her mother.

  Flag gardenfulloflieson June 15, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:First time I hear it and God I'm crying. What a beautiful song. It's very sad, but at the same time I'm just happy that she took the effort to write this song. Cancer happens to many people.

  Flag Plottoberryon May 10, 2012   Link

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  Song Meaning:"Oh my god, Barbara
  She looks so much like my mom"
  Am I the only one who is pretty convinced this line is about her realising that cancer is genetic?

  Flag evaaaaon April 01, 2011   Link

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    I think so, yes.

    Flag Plottoberryon May 10, 2012  
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  General Comment:As everyone has said, i believe this is about a mother of 4 (Sophie, Michael, Jacqueline and Barbara) who's dying of cancer. She is only concerned about the welfare of her children. She dreams about doctors saying the disease will go away, and she dreams about 'benjamin franklins' making sure her kids are alright when she passes away. At times it's hard to distinguish between what is reality and what is a dream which may suggest she really is living her last days (this is also supported by the fact that these lyrics mainly compromise of dreams.
  Her kids are acting like adults (one of them only wants to listen to bbc radio) because they know they have to. Barbara looks like her grandmother which worries the narrator because she realises Barbara and her siblings will never get a proper childhood
  

  Flag moedelongeon March 12, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:i think its obvious that crispy crispy benjamin franklin is money and its saying that basically she's maybe a single mother with naught but ehr kids to care for and she's had to work so she had to pay a baby-sitter so maybe she doesn't really know her kids as well as she wishes and now she has to die. Notice she realizes (oh my god) barbara you look just like my mom. and i think that's like saying she wishes she had spent more time with her kids so she realized things like that before. it's also sad because she'll never see if she ends up looking just like her mom in the end. she'll never see her grow up.
  
  I think the 1st chorus is "i can't afford chemo like i can't afford a limo" she wants to stop with the chemo and just die. it's sad but it's true, cancer is an uncomfortable way to die and prolonging it with chemo doesn't seem like and option since she'll die anyway and the financial state of her family isn't that great. She'd rather stay out of the hospital and "go out in style." Just live life to the fullest until she's too weak to do so.
  
  The dream was about her dying and giving up (in the limo) and she wakes up and decides to fight the cancer with the chorus (no thankyou). I like how she still has hope for life "you know i PLAN to retire some day" as in she will live to retire and she isn't going to die and just give up the fight like in her dream. I think maybe the thought of her children is her will to live :) as much as this song is sad, it is hopeful as well.

  Flag rokouttilur80on January 04, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I have to say, when I first heard this song, I wasn't too fond of it, now I love it with a passion. The way she sings about the children is heart breaking.
  The bit that I find really interesting from a lyrical point of view is the line, just after they've gotten into the limo
  "The doctor he asked which way we were headed
  I said, Sir, let's just go west and he listened obediently,"
  To me, this is one of the saddest bits, she mistakes the limo driver for her doctor showing how desperately the character wants to gain control, and seems to be using the doctor as a personification of being ill, it's like she just wants him and it to do what she wants them to do, tell her that she'll be ok.
  
  One of Regina's saddest songs, I think.

  Flag Nonion December 25, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I had actually never thought about the Barbara bit being about missing her child. Well, maybe at first but in the later lyrics, it almost seems like she's very worried about Barbara. Maybe her mother also died of cancer, she has it, and is now worried about Barbara. That was just my assumption.
  
  Regina has a way of expressing such complicated feelings in simple lyrics. I love her style of music. She's a really wonderful artist.

  Flag Rubbishcakeson August 14, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:This might be overly philsophical, but I think when she says "the doctor he asked which way we were headed, I said, sir let's just go west and he listened obediently". West could probably be freedom, in this case freedom from the disease, from obligations, from being told what to do by the doctors, or from chemo. And notice it's the DOCTOR, not the driver. And the word obediently is important as well.
  
  I get that "crispy crispy benjamin franklin" is referring to money, but whenever I listen to it I think for some reason that it should be "kreme". Oh the shame.
  
  And I agree with everyone else, she knows that she's going to die but she's resigned to that fact. Her kids are growing up, and she can't do anything about it.

  Flag nightgremlinson June 26, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I always thought that maybe when it says, "Barbara, she looks just like my Mom"and talks about her children is when she's dying and she's having a last look at her children and some people think that you see your parents before you die so maybe she's confused with Barbara and sees her mother when she looks at her becase she's dying.

  Flag natasha92on June 09, 2010   Link

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